


Lovebirds

by EmberCelica



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship (minor), Feelings Realization, Fluff, Getting Together, Humor, Love Confessions, M/M, Oblivious Hinata Shouyou, Romance, Running errands together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-13 10:20:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29524920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmberCelica/pseuds/EmberCelica
Summary: Hinata grins and then teases, "Wow, it's like we're actually dating, Kageyama."He expects a rebuttal, or perhaps a glare of annoyance, but Kageyama is silent. Hinata feels his smile waver as the silence carries on."I was only kidding," he assures quickly."I figured," Kageyama says, not looking over at him.[A little white lie at lunch has Hinata rethinking his friendship with Kageyama over the course of their not-date. Absolutely not a date. Not at all.]
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio
Comments: 23
Kudos: 243
Collections: Haikyuu!! Valentine Exchange





	Lovebirds

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for tangerhina on tumblr for the Haikyuu Valentine Gift Exchange! I had so much fun writing this piece. The prompt was "be gay, do crime" and i also used a bit of the fake dating trope! Thank you to [knoxoursavior](https://archiveofourown.org/users/knoxoursavior/) for beta-ing this!

  


* * *

The first thing Kageyama says when Hinata slides back into his side of the booth is, "I ordered while you were gone." This sets off a billion bells and sirens in Hinata's head.

Outside the window of their booth, the rain pours mercilessly, and Hinata feels the rainwater dripping down his neck. It's cold and gross, but Hinata ignores that and focuses his energy on the _audacity_ sitting across the table. "You did?! I was only gone for a couple minutes." 

"Couldn't wait, the waitress came by and I was ready," Kageyama responds, looking at the rain outside. His hoodie is splattered by rainwater from their race through the rain for shelter.

The race that Hinata won, by the way.

"You totally could've said 'give me a minute' or something!" Kageyama doesn't even acknowledge that with a response. Hinata tilts his head and huffs. "What's up with you?"

Kageyama doesn't answer, or turn his head. His bangs are stuck to the forehead, more evidence of their ill-preparedness for today's forecast.

Hinata couldn't have been gone for more than five minutes, standing under the overhang of the cafe entrance and trying to listen to his mom tell him what to pick up from the supermarket. Before that, he had seemed pretty normal (or as normal as Kageyama could be) when they met up this morning. A mood change like this (especially when Hinata's sure he hasn't done anything yet) is weird.

A brilliant idea hatches in Hinata's mind. Bracing his hands on the table, he leans across the table and shakes his head furiously. 

"Hey!" Kageyama sputters, jerking back. "What are you, a stupid dog?!"  
  
Hinata slams back into his seat, just managing to dodge Kageyama's stupidly long swipes. He grins, catching that Kageyama scowl. His antics aren't enough though, and soon Kageyama's back to looking out the window, the frustrating line of his mouth turning downward again. 

Hinata leans forward, hand going for his menu before he realizes it's gone from the table. There are two glasses of water though, and a teapot with two filled cups of tea. He takes one, savoring the warmth cradled around his fingers. "Yamayama, did you order for me too?"

"Don't call me that." Hinata swings his legs, kicking him under the table. Kageyama, the jerk, doesn't even look fazed. "You're sure your tiny legs can reach me all the way across?"

"Shut up! This table isn't even that big!" And truth be told, it isn't. It's a small sort of booth, with the table narrow enough that Hinata is sure he could lean across to Kageyama's side easily. It doesn't feel claustrophobic, per say, but rather intimate. "I'm starving! What if you ordered something weird?"  
  
Kageyama snorts. "You'll like what you get. You'll eat anything."

Hinata wraps his hands around his cup of tea. So warm, especially from the cold rain. "So you did order for me?"  
  
It's not a particularly busy cafe, so Hinata, while staring at Kageyama, hears a faint sound steadily grow. "Yeah. It pairs with my meal, though."

"You ordered two meals for yourself?"

"That's not what I—" Suddenly, Kageyama's face changes. "I— If you don't like it I'll pay for it."  
  
Hinata feels the whoosh of the waitress passing by their table as he places his cup down. The annoying clicking sound fades, as well. "Why would I come along to watch you eat two meals?"

"I'm not gonna eat it! I mean I won't make you pay for it. Besides, I know you'll like it."

There's something firm in Kageyama's voice, like when he challenges Hinata, or when he affirms some new attack they plan together on the court. But this is different; this is a cafe and Kageyama ordered food for him. It definitely feels like something is off. Leaning his arm on the table, Hinata places his chin in his palm and says, "Sure."  
  
"Yeah." Kageyama's face is the faintest tinge of pink, even though Hinata was the one who was just outside. With that, Kageyama's gaze falls back to the window. 

"How come you're spacing out, Kageyama? Did the rain short-circuit your brain or something?"  
  
"I'm—fine. Totally fine. Super normal."  
  
"You're being weird."  
  
"The supreme ruler of weird is calling me weird?"  
  
"I'm not the supreme ruler of weird! You're like the ultra king of weirdness, you weirdo!" 

Kageyama glowers at him, and Hinata feels that weird atmosphere surrounding Kageyama dissipate, just a little. Probably just the rain, then.

Both unfortunately and fortunately, the food comes out and it's utterly amazing. Hinata wastes no time in digging in, that first bite warming up his entire being with delicious warmth. He swears the food sparkled when it came out, and there were love bubbles and circles around the waitress's face when she told them to enjoy it.

Whatever storm cloud of weirdness that circled around Kageyama is gone, and his eyes are clear again, wide as saucers as he eats. It's an amusing look. 

When they're done, Hinata leans back. "Fine," he bemoans, already missing his full plate.  
  
"What?"

"You win, Kageyama. That food was amazing." Leaning forward on the table, Hinata turns his head and peers up at Kageyama.  
  
Unsurprisingly, the smug smile on Kageyama's face greets him, though it's also compounded with a relaxed post-meal look, like Kageyama is a happy, fed cat. "I know." Something flickers in Kageyama's eyes, and there's a hesitation before he speaks. "Hey—"

"Here are your desserts!"  
  
Hinata sits up as the waitress stops at their table. "Sorry ma'am, but we didn't order—"  
  
"Thank—Thankyousomuch!" Kageyama cuts him off, and Hinata's eyes dart to him, confused. Kageyama's face is flushed, and though he's facing the waitress, he can't seem to look her in the eyes. 

The waitress just smiles, placing the dishes on the table despite Hinata's confusion. "Enjoy, you two! I hope you enjoyed our couples special! And," she crosses her arms behind her, beaming a great, big, earnest smile. "I wish you great prosperity in your relationship!" And then her shoes click and clack on the tiles as she walks away again. 

"Thank you," Kageyama mutters again, and the pieces click in his head.

"What," Hinata says. "Wait. Couples special? Relationship? Why would she say that?"

"It," Kageyama states, looking as nervous as Hinata feels. "It might be—because I told her we were dating." 

"You—what? You did _what?_ "

Kageyama's quick, clear words cut through his. Also, his hand slaps over Hinata's mouth to contain his outburst. "I told her we were dating to get free desserts." He rushes the words out, like a cement salve for Hinata's words breaking like a dam. He squeezes Hinata's face, like he wants to pop it. "Dumbass, it's not that _serious_."

Hinata grabs his wrist and turns his head, freeing his mouth. He is— shocked, surprised, like when Natsu dumped a cup of cold water on his face when he was sleeping and he thought he was drowning. "Just for _free desserts_?"  
  
He doesn't mean for his voice to rise. Kageyama winces. "No—calm down—" Kageyama's face twists, and he pulls his hand back, then hesitates before grabbing the milkshake. "I mean she just told me about the couples special. 30% off and some free dessert afterwards. So I ordered that."

Hinata looks down at his plate. The purin does, indeed, look amazing, and though his stomach felt like bursting before, he's finding the energy to start eating again. Still, his face is still hot and sweaty and he's still reeling from Kageyama's—liarness. "So it's like when you lie and say you're younger to get the kids discount."  
  
Kageyama snorts. "Yeah, you probably use that excuse all the time."  
  
"Hey! I mean, did you really think it would work?"  
  
Kageyama sips on his milkshake and doesn't answer. "It reminded me of something Suga said," he replies, after a thought.

"What was it?"  
  
That's when Kageyama tenses, and as he puts the milkshake down, his eyebrows knit together. His face scrunches up. "Be gay, do crime," he says slowly. 

After a moment, Hinata nods. "That was when Sugawara suggested stealing a bus for the Tokyo training camp, right?"  
  
"Yup. So. that's why."  
  
_Kageyama listens to his senpais too much,_ Hinata thinks, as Kageyama looks away again. It's not necessarily a bad idea, and Hinata won't deny that saving money would be helpful since he's looking for some new knee pads today. "She didn't ask any questions?"

Kageyama shakes his head. "She just nodded when I told her and asked some questions like how long we've been together, I dunno. Besides, this is cheaper than ordering individually. This place is expensive. Did you even look at the menu?"

"I didn't _get_ to. Liaryama," he huffs, because he can't think of anything else to argue with. "I can't believe you said we were dating," he bemoans.

Something flashes across Kageyama's face faster than Hinata can catch. Kageyama crosses his arms. "Shut up," he hisses. "It wouldn't be as bad as you think."

"Does that mean you're paying for me?"  
  
Kageyama slaps his own face, hard, which would worry Hinata if not for the absolutely killer death glare he's sending between his fingers. "What? Why? You ate all of your meal."

Hinata leans up in his seat. "Because when you take someone out for a date, you pay for the meal!" He tries to grab the cup, but Kageyama dodges it, and Hinata catches his hand instead.

"Why couldn't you pay, then?"

"But you told the waitress—"

"Didn't I just explain to you—" 

"How's everything going?"

"All good / Alright!" they say at the same time. Hinata tries to think about what looks romantic. Then he untangles his death grip on Kageyama's hand to something that looks marginally more romantic.

"Are you sure?" she asks, concerned, and Hinata realizes that in their argument and the unravelling of Kageyama's lie, neither of them have touched their desserts.

"Of— Of course! We just—we're just savoring the moment."  
  
"It's our anniversary," Kageyama blurts out. Hinata's eyes go wide.  
  
"Of when we first met!" he yells. The waitress looks marginally shocked.

"Oh-oh," she says hesitantly, looking a bit hesitant before regaining her composure. "Well, congratulations, lovebirds!" 

Hinata releases his grip on Kageyama's hands as she walks away. "What the hell?" Hinata hisses, kicking him under the table.

"What?"  
  
"Anniversary? You're not smart enough to keep a story together like that."

"Shut up."

"You know I'm right. Also, I want the shake."  
  
"Why? Get your own."  
  
Hinata makes grabby motions towards the shake. "C'mon, we're obviously supposed to share it if we're a couple! That's why they gave us two straws." 

After a moment, Kageyama reluctantly slides the milkshake towards Hinata. Hinata wants to snort. See, this is why dating Kageyama would suck. Any girl would run in the opposite direction against that glare.

Hinata picks up the glass, and when his mouth is hovering around the unused straw, his brain's thoughts about potential backwash are interrupted by Kageyama's unnerving gaze on him.

Hinata sighs, then straightens up just as an idea pops into his head.

He slides the milkshake back between them. Then he leans forward, his leg having to come up on the seat to give ample leverage. He beams as he says, "Share with me, Kageyama."  
  
Hinata does his absolute best keeping that smile hanging against the furious whirlwind of emotions dancing across Kageyama's face. Kageyama isn't wildly emotive, but Hinata's been his partner long enough to see the minute signals that cross his features. It's a standoff, and Hinata feels the electricity burning between them.

After some time, Kageyama leans forward and puts his mouth on his straw, not breaking eye contact with him. Hinata's face feels hot. For some reason, his eyes dart down for a millisecond to Kageyama's mouth.

 _Weird,_ Hinata thinks immediately, and begins drinking the shake like his life depends on it. LIke hell he's gonna let Kageyama have the rest. 

The flavor of chocolate fills his mouth. It tastes _divine_ , soft and swirled and decadent, and the inside of his cheeks sting just a little bit from how rich it is.

There's a weird sound and Hinata opens his eyes again. Kageyama is sitting back in his seat, glaring at him. "What?"  
  
Kageyama only looks away, a hand over his mouth. "You started making weird noises."  
  
"Not too weird! It's just so good!"  
  
"Don't talk with your mouth full. You're gross as hell."  
  
Kageyama telling him that is a total hypocrite move. However, Hinata just grins.

"Thank you, darling," he says in a sickly sweet voice, high pitched, eyes fluttering, and Kageyama's eyes get dark, like right before he aims to smash Hinata's head in. It makes him snicker, and Kageyama just stabs into his purin a little too violently. 

Who knew fake dating had its perks?

Hinata hops down the stairs from the entrance of the cafe, the scent of post-rain hanging in the air. He takes it two steps at a time, careful with how he lands, aware of the wet steps and the puddles in the corners of uneven pavement. It's not a busy day in particular, and the few cars that pass add to the background noise of the song Hinata's making up in his head now.

He is high off of custard sweetness, of ice cold milkshakes against the inside of his cheeks, and the absolutely _ridiculous_ idea of dating Kageyama.

He shakes his head furiously. As far as he could tell, their waitress had no idea that they were nothing more than friends. The discount was still placed on their receipt, though he had to take Kageyama's word for it.

"Just wait outside for me," he told Hinata as they were getting ready to go. He had been seated closer to where the register was, so he blocked off Hinata's path towards it. 

"Hey!"  
  
Kageyama grabbed his head and turned him around forcibly. "Just go."

That's not how you would treat a girl, Hinata thought spitefully. Much less a girl you were dating. With a girl, you might walk up with her to the cashier, not leave her alone for a second, and you would pay for the meal in front of her so the waitress could go _wow, so handsome and generous!_ and the girl would be _wow, so chivalrous!_

Hinata scoffs, scuffing the toes of his sneakers on the sidewalk. He doesn't actually mind. Maybe if it were some girl dating Kageyama who wasn't actually used to Kageyama's...Kageyamaness - well, they'd mind.

But Kageyama is Kageyama, he thinks, raising his face up to the sky. The clouds have scattered, letting some beams of light through. And Kageyama paid for his meal, which was nice, which means that Hinata will buy him a pork curry bun next time, or cover the next meal, or something like that. 

"Hey, dumbass."  
  
"Hey yourself," Hinata chirps instinctively, walking forward as Kageyama falls into step with him. Internally, he violently shakes those ideas away "How much was it?"  
  
"Still kind of expensive."  
  
"Really? I'll pay you back for my meal." 

"Don't worry about it," Kageyama says, and something in his voice makes Hinata's fingers tingle, all of a sudden. It almost makes him stop walking, the surprise of it. 

He stares at Kageyama hard, squinting. "Then, next time I'll cover it."

"You better."

Hinata grins and then teases, "Wow, it's like we're actually dating, Kageyama."

He expects a rebuttal, or perhaps a glare of annoyance, but Kageyama is silent, his shoulders hunched up, and Hinata feels his smile waver as the silence goes on. Why would he say something like that? He had said it jokingly, but why did he suddenly feel like running? Was Kageyama grossed out? Embarrassed?  
  
"I was only kidding," he assures.

"I figured," Kageyama says, not looking over at him. Hinata resolves not to overthink for the rest of the day.

Come on. Him and Kageyama?

He lags behind a little as they walk, staring at the back of Kageyama's head. It's a familiar sight. He's been chasing after Kageyama since the day they met, asking for another toss, another game, another fight— all of it, and Kageyama always turns around and challenges him and makes him work for it. 

It's frustrating, and yet Hinata wouldn't have it any other way. Sometimes Hinata looks at Kageyama and imagines that crown, imagines the velvet cape that falls from his shoulders. The back of Kageyama's head makes Hinata want to sprint, want to yell—it makes him want Kageyama to turn around and look at him with those cool, icy eyes, like he's been waiting.

Hinata shakes his head rapidly. There's no point rattling off analysis about Kageyama's head, there's no deeper meaning—a head is just a head! Even if it's covered in black, smooth hair so silky that Hinata wonders how soft it is. It's not fair; Kageyama's grabbed his hair tons of times (more like his _head,_ and it's usually in the midst of shaking him so violently that Hinata's afraid his head will fly off his shoulders) but very rarely has Hinata ever had the chance to return the favor. Hinata thinks his hair must be soft, because Natsu's is just like his. Does Kageyama think his hair is soft? Does Kageyama even care?

At the crosswalk, they stop and wait as cars pass by, and Hinata rolls back on his heels and watches the crosswalk sign. Unavoidably, he's ultra aware of the presence next to him.  
  
_Him_ and Kageyama.

Kageyama only stares forward, a still force even as the world moves around him. His hand hangs at his side, and Hinata sees a bandage wrapped around his index finger. Hinata's always been jealous of Kageyama's hands, secretly. They're so much bigger, longer, more elegant than his own. They sing of control, of power when he's setting to Hinata, those fingertips pushing the ball towards him, and the world stills.

Him and _Kageyama_.

The crosswalk sign changes, and Hinata's instinctual, look-before-you-leap thoughts have him reach for Kageyama's hand.

Kageyama's jerks away like he's been electrocuted the moment Hinata's fingertips brush his palm, and then Hinata's brain catches up with him and he yanks his hand back, eyes saucer-wide. Hinata braces himself.

But whatever he expects doesn't come.

Hinata opens his eyes and Kageyama is staring at him with this—expression, all tense yet wide-eyed, as if he’s waiting for Hinata's explanation. His brain stalls, then trips over itself to catch on. "Uh. I mean. Don't you believe in holding hands when you cross the street?"

"I—"  
  
"It's just a force of habit, with my sister!" he adds hurriedly. His hands fumble with each other, and he sees Kageyama's gaze lower to follow them. Hinata steps into the street, landing right into the large puddle he didn't see there. "Crap!"

"That's what you get for not paying attention," Kageyama calls out, following behind him. Hinata whines endlessly, hand shoved firmly in his pockets lest they do something without his permission again. 

The walk after that is silent, as Hinata tries his best to press his shoes against the pavement to get the water out, and also press his brain for something, _anything_ to get out of this awkward lull. Then, at the next block, when the light changes again, Kageyama abruptly grabs his hand.

Hinata can't help but yelp at the sudden death grip he's in. "AH!"  
  
"Why are you yelling?"  
  
"I thought you were gonna break it or something. You're still holding on kind of tight!"  
  
Kageyama's death grip softens, though his expression seems tense per usual. It's a lot more pleasant to hold. "Better?"

The woman behind them coughs loudly, and Hinata remembers that they're at a crosswalk and yanks them forward.  
  
As they walk, Hinata thinks about Kageyama's hand in his. He's never given two thoughts about what Kageyama's hand would feel like in his. That's not something you usually think about, with your teammates. Hell, not even with his friends. Yet, now that he’s holding it, feeling the calluses on his fingers and the unexpected softness of the back of his hand, he's wondering if it's always felt like this. This _weird_.

The waitress's words echo in the back of his head. Did they look like lovebirds right now?

It's halfway through the next block that Hinata realizes they're still holding hands. He lets go first, shoving it into his pocket, and Kageyama doesn't seem to care.

Him and Kageyama dating would be ridiculous, right? 

Incredibly ridiculous.

Well, except the idea won't stop popping up in Hinata's head.

Yes, from a certain standpoint, Kageyama is _handsome._

Hinata comes to terms with this standpoint as he peers around the aisle of the store and watches Kageyama try on shoes.

There's a certain… beauty to Kageyama. His long limbs, especially his legs, only serve to emphasize the fluidity of his movements, deliberate, as Kageyama extends one leg and bends the other. Hinata watches as Kageyama undoes the laces of the volleyball shoes, slipping in and lacing up in the style Hinata never learned growing up (it was too complicated). 

Kageyama's stupid legs. Hinata can't help but marvel every time he watches Kageyama serve. The way his legs move, how he bends and then soars; how he lands, exactly where he needs, how the ball lands, exactly where he deigns. 

Finally, Kageyama notices his presence. "What are you staring at?"  
  
Hinata fights the instinct to duck around the corner and take a lap. He shakes his head and runs a hand through his hair. "No—nothing! I mean. Just. Thinking." 

Kageyama stares him down until Hinata sighs and walks over. He plops down on the bench next to him, drawing his knees up. "I lost my kneepads again," he says, holding up the packet in his hand.

Kageyama shifts, and the little skin contact they had dissipates. "How?"  
  
"I was playing with Natsu last time and I forgot where I put them. She's getting good at volleyball! I actually think she likes it a lot. Probably because of me."  
  
"Who else would it be?" Kageyama asks, and that makes Hinata smile against his knees.  
  
"Are you saying I'm good? Soon I'll be better than you, Kageyama."

"Not a day in hell. Your receives are still trash."

"H-hey! I'm getting better." Kageyama huffs a laugh, and Hinata pouts. "I am!"  
  
"I didn't _say_ you weren't."

That pout drops because Kageyama's words never sting as much as fuel him to get better. Kageyama finishes adjusting the sneakers before getting to his feet, tapping the toes against the floor and staring down, inspecting. He walks around, deliberate steps that Hinata follows. 

Hinata watches it all, looking from the shoes to the calves to the thighs and up, to Kageyama. 

When Kageyama comes back with another box, Hinata has stretched his legs over the seat. He looks at Kageyama challengingly.

Kageyama exhales through his nose and kneels down on the floor. As he unties his shoes, Hinata looks at his side profile, and sighs at how annoyingly handsome it is up close, too. But that's not the only thing that matters, Hinata thinks. Kageyama is, above all else, devoted. He devotes himself to volleyball. Anything that can catch Kageyama's attention is something he puts all of his soul into. The boy who never wears his heart on his sleeve unless it's a team uniform, whose fiery determination pushes Hinata to soar higher, strike harder. That's what Hinata thinks is handsome. Something that feels familiar and brand new.

His eyes draw up to that black hair again, noticing how the bangs hang when Kageyama tilts his face down to lace up these new shoes. 

"What are you staring at," Kageyama says, not even looking over.

Hinata yelps and then runs a hand through his hair and pulls on it. "Nothing. Really."

There are three things on Hinata's mind:

  1. Kageyama is handsome. 
  2. Kageyama is the closest thing Hinata has ever had for a partner. A real partner.
  3. Hinata is never going to tell him any of this.



Hinata can only frustratingly watch as Kageyama leans up and grabs the potato starch from the top shelf of the aisle. "Thanks."  
  
"You knocked down like, five bags trying to get this one." Kageyama's carrying his own basket of groceries, which makes Hinata feel better about dragging them to the supermarket on their day out.

Day out. Not a date. Definitely not a date. Who would agree to go grocery shopping with someone for a date? This is just them spending time together, like they always do. And if Hinata thinks going grocery shopping with Kageyama is more fun than going alone, well, that's what friends are for, aren't they?  
  
The bags of rice flour currently in Hinata's arms are _heavy_ (and he thinks one of them is leaking now), and he hurriedly shoves them towards Kageyama. He snatches the potato starch out of his hand as Kageyama is juggling the bags. "Doesn't matter!" Kageyama grunts and begins replacing the rice flour onto its rightful place. Hinata grins. "All that's left is chili paste." 

In that aisle (thankfully emptier, since Hinata had gotten some glares from a grandmother when trying to get the starch), Hinata eyes the red jars and grabs the one that looks the most like the one at home.

"Do you ever cook?" he asks, looking into Kageyama's basket. Protein bars and a pack of yogurt. Hinata places his starch into his own basket.

"Sometimes."

"What do you like to make?" 

"Curry," he answers, not looking over at him. He is inspecting the jars on the shelf.

Hinata's hand brushes Kageyama's arm, touching the patch of flour on there. "Can I try some, sometime?" 

He feels Kageyama tense up, and quickly, Hinata pulls away. "Sorry! You had some flour on here."

Kageyama turns his head away from him. "Sure."  
  
"You really did!"  
  
"No. I meant, sure. I'll cook for you sometime."  
  
Something in Hinata's stomach flutters. "Really? Awesome! You should bring it in for lunch sometime!"  
  
Kageyama scowls, walking down the aisle. Hinata follows him. "Why do I have to bring it in for you? You should bring me something, too."  
  
"You want me to? I will! It'll be better than yours, anyway." His mom is already making spicy karaage, and he knows Kageyama will like that. He hopes, at least.

"Won't it be weird?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"If I brought you lunch and gave it to you?"  
  
"No. Besides, we eat together anyways. No one will know. It'll just be— you know, one of _our_ things." 

Kageyama pauses in front of a wall of spices. Hinata rocks back on his heels and tries to put on his best pleasing grin. 

"One of our things?"  
  
"You know? Just you and me."  
  
"Alright," Kageyama says, and really, why is Kageyama acting so weird about this? They eat lunch together on most days, if only because if they finish early, that leaves some time for practice. Sometimes they eat with Yamaguchi and Tsukishima, but on days where those two are mysteriously absent (Hinata suspects Tsukki has a hard stop on the number of days he can eat lunch with him and Kageyama) it's just them two.

And eating alone with Kageyama is fine! They'll talk about anything, and sometimes Kageyama will trade parts of his lunch for Hinata's, which is fun, and that's not very different from what Hinata's proposing now. Unless Kageyama thought that Hinata should come over to his house to cook.

He can't put a finger on it, but there's something that ignites when the idea of going to Kageyama's house and having Kageyama cook for him comes up. Kageyama's parents are rarely home, so the times that he's come over have just been them, which is normal, but now it feels so—  
  
"Are you done?" Kageyama asks, knocking him out of his thoughts.  
  
"I am," Hinata answers, taking a step past Kageyama. "Hey, I bet I can go through self-checkout faster than you."  
  
"No, you can't."  
  
One broken jar of Doubanjiang later (and copious apologies to the supermarket employee), Hinata reluctantly lets Kageyama win.

They're standing outside a pet store. Hinata was in the middle of explaining to Kageyama how his mom makes spicy karaage when Kageyama had suddenly stopped walking.

Hinata bumps into him, and then follows his gaze to the store they’re in front of. "What's up?"  
  
The display window of the pet store had a couple rabbits in a pen, looking like little clouds or pillows with eyes. Hinata couldn't help but coo at them, bending down in front of the glass.

Kageyama taps his finger against the glass. "Does that rabbit…?" Kageyama says, and Hinata looks at the one he's pointing at.

Hinata's eyes go wide. "It looks like the vice principal's wig," he whispers. 

The rabbit had long, _long_ , hair—how could it even see out of its own fur?—and it was black and sleek and looked _so_ much like the vice principal's wig that Hinata sort of wants to go inside and put it on his head. He shudders, imagining the likeness of Daichi behind them, disappointed and enraged.  
  
Kageyama lets out a sound that sounds sort of like a snort, and that snaps Hinata out of it. Hinata peeks over at him and sees his small smile. It makes his stomach do flops.

The bell jingles as Hinata opens the door, and he makes sure to hold the door for Kageyama too. Hinata sees green and yellow birds perched together in a nearby cage against the wall and promptly beelines for the bunny pen instead. _Don't think about the word don't think about the word don't think about it._

The sign on the gate says _petting corner_ , and Hinata's day has just gotten ten times better.

He places his bag down and steps over the walls, careful to step around the bunnies snoozing.

"Are you allowed to do that?" Kageyama says hurriedly, standing next to Hinata's bag. 

"The sign says it's okay," He plops down onto the floor, and immediately a wonderful cream-colored bunny hops over to him, stopping next to his crossed leg. "Come on! They're so cute!" 

Kageyama is just standing there, so after a minute of cuddling with the softest creatures in existence (there's a gray one with a little black mark on its face that Hinata takes a picture of for Sugawara) Hinata turns around. "You just can't stand there! We're waiting!" He holds up the gray rabbit towards him. 

"Okay, okay." Kageyama is frowning, as always, but he does step over and take the longest time sitting down next to Hinata. 

He watches Kageyama watch the wig rabbit in front of him. Kageyama lifts his hand, holding it in the air for a second. Suddenly, Kageyama darts his hand out towards it.

Wig dashes away, and the nearby ones scurry after it. Hinata can't help but laugh. "You moved like you were gonna kill it!"

Kageyama deflates. "Obviously I wasn't going to!"  
  
"I can kinda understand their animal instincts though." He gets smacked on the arm for that. "Hey! if you're violent to me, they'll see that and know you're a predator!"  
  
"I'm not a predator, you moron!"

"Well, they like me."

"Probably because you have the same number of brain cells."

"It's not that! You have to be patient with them, and move slower so you don't scare them. Also, they're scared of height, so try and be smaller, too."

"Makes sense why they like you."  
  
"Hey!" Another bunny hops next to Hinata, and he reaches out to start petting it. It's black fur shines under the light, and it's only just a bit bigger than his hand. "Look, Kageyama, pet it nicely."

Eventually, Hinata carefully scoops up the bunny, holding it against his chest. He can feel it's warmth against him, feel the thrum of its heart. 

He sees Kageyama stare at him. He smiles. "See, Kageyama? You have to be patient with them. Just start off by petting one, and then reach under its shoulder and scoop it up after a couple minutes." 

He watches Kageyama's elegant fingers as he reaches out (slower this time) towards the cream-colored rabbit. "How do you know this?"

He watches as Kageyama barely presses the fur. "A little bit harder. And go from the head to the butt, in long strokes." Kageyama adjusts, and the bunny stays under his hand.

Hinata's thumb idly rubs on the bunny's back, and he leans back where he sits. "I have a neighbor who had a pet rabbit. I got to play with it sometimes when I was younger, and she taught me how to hold them."

Kageyama nods, and Hinata talks more about the rabbit, and the neighbor, who now has a pet dog and wants to be a vet. Kageyama answers his questions without taking his eyes off the bunny he's petting ("I've never had a pet," "Cats," "I don't care about breeds, 'cept for the hairless ones"). Hinata notices how gentle Kageyama is, how subtle his movements are. 

The shop isn't busy, and besides the single worker who wandered over to check on them, they're left alone. But it's different in the way he's looking at Kageyama.

Eventually, Kageyama hands reach under the shoulder of the rabbit and he scoops it up. Hinata is quick, leaning towards him. "Fix your hands like this— yeah."

It doesn't feel as weird to touch Kageyama like this, when he's focused on just helping him. Kageyama doesn't look at him, either. He's grinning stupid excitedly at the bunny in his arms, like he can't believe something so precious and fragile could exist in the same hands that could toss a ball so precisely, or serve so viciously—or maybe that was just Hinata's mind speaking—

Kageyama then looks up at Hinata, and that ridiculously earnest look is sharpened, topped off, perfected beyond infinity by that smug look that comes over his eyes. "She likes me." 

Something in Hinata's chest swells and bursts. "I like you more."  
  
Kageyama gapes at him, and Hinata realizes that he said it outloud. 

Hinata checks over his shoulder for the third time when the phone finally clicks. "Hi, Sugawara!" HIs words struggle to come out as he catches his breath. "I'm sorry to bother you, but— "  
  
"What's up, Hinata? What's up?"  
  
"Uh, well. Kageyama…I mean, okay, I—what happened— " His words stumble on for a bit, aborted sentences and mixed up feelings tripping over and over like a tangled mess of things rolling down a hill. His whole body feels like it's on fire.

"Hinata, just take your time," Suga says reassuringly. 

"Do you remember 'Be gay do crime?'" he finally gets out. He checks over his shoulder, like speaking his name would summon the black-haired boy down the street, where Hinata fled.  
  
"Uhhh. Sure. Why?"

"Uh. Well. Kageyama listens to you too much. And that's why I'm—panicking!"

"Hinata," Suga says carefully. "Are you guys about to die or something? Am I going to have to pick you up from jail?"

"No, no! It's just— I— " Then a rough hand grabs him.

"Hey!" It’s the red faced worker from the pet store. "You just can't steal them!" 

"Oh," Hinata says, and then looks down at his hand. "My god, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry—!"  
  
Sugawara's voice is tinny, "Hinata—"

Then Kageyama's voice calls from behind him. "You _moron_!"

"I'll have to call you back I'm sorry—!"

"In my defense," Hinata says, sitting on the bench, head in his hands. "I didn't know I still had the bunny with me."  
  
"Why the hell would you run out anyway!"

"It was instinct! I wasn't even thinking!"

"You rarely do."  
  
"I guess so," Hinata says exhaustedly, but his heart is still racing and he feels like every nerve was on high alert, all because he _likes_ Kageyama. Hinata stares down at his shoes, kicking the dirt under him. "I just—I had to call someone."

"Who was it?"  
  
"Uh—just no one." 

The silence between them grows. Hinata is wondering if Kageyama maybe possibly didn't hear what he had blurted out, until Kageyama says, "You said you liked me."  
  
Hinata gulps. "I did."

"In what way?"  
  
When did breathing become the most difficult thing on Earth? Could he really pass it off as a friendship thing? Even Kageyama couldn't be that dense. "Don't make me say it," he mumbles, face on fire. 

A couple seconds pass, where the wind and the far off sound of traffic fill the air between them. Hinata forces himself to peek over. 

Kageyama's expression is serious, terrifyingly serious, but Hinata notes how his hands are clenched at his side. "Do you really like me?"  
  
Hinata exhales when he says, "Of course I do."

He watches Kageyama's face, how his features soften from serious to shocked, how he stares down at the ground like it might swallow him whole. His mouth wobbles.

"I like you," Hinata says, and he watches as Kageyama covers his eyes. "Kageyama, I _like_ you. Are you blushing?"

"I've liked you longer," he says back, almost angrily, turning to face him. Hinata's instincts want to refute him, want to bite back but—  
  
"You—you like me?"  
  
"That's what I said, wasn’t it?"

Hinata feels utter disbelief. "What do you mean you've liked me _longer_?" Hinata asks, a little annoyed. "How would you know?"

"I just know," he says. 

"Well, why didn't you tell me?"

"I tried!" Kageyama glares, which is more or less effective than normal since he looks red as a tomato. "All day, I was giving you signs that I liked you and you picked up _nothing!"_

"What signs?" 

"Throughout the—there were—" Kageyama waves his hands around. "Like—like Suga told me—!"

"Wait, Suga?"

He nods. "Be direct, be forward. Communicate with your teammates," Kageyama recites.

Hinata feels his face grow hot just from embarrassment. "That's for volleyball, you moron!"

" _You_ 're the moron, moron!"

"Not once today did you actually say 'Hinata, I like you!'" 

Kageyama crosses his arms. "I was working up to it," he grumbles. 

Hinata pulls his legs onto the bench and crosses them, an arm resting on his knee. "Well, I like you so much that as soon as I realized it, I had to call Suga and ask for help."  
  
"Help on what?"  
  
"How to—how to handle it," Hinata says, his mouth suddenly fumbling. His heart feels like it's beating a million beats per minute. Suddenly, he finds his mind stalling in trying to explain. "You're just so— bwahh, and I'm so— " he cuts himself off. "And I feel— And it's so— argh!" He buries his face in his hands. "And I didn't know what to do so I just _said_ it!"

The silence sits between them, in which Hinata seriously considers just jumping to his feet and running all the way home. "I know it's not good," Kageyama says, looking up at the sky. His voice is soft, neutral. "You were pretty clear about how you felt about it before."

Hinata looks up from his hands. He thinks about his words from earlier today, at the cafe, and all the little teasing he had done. How Kageyama would tense up or brush it off.

"I...didn't mean it then," he says, sitting straight up. "I was kidding before, because I didn't know how you feel. Or how I felt. But now I do! I really, really like you."

Kageyama rubs the back of his neck. "Yeah, I know."  
  
"In the _be gay, do crime_ way."  
  
"I _know_."

"Like, if you wanted me to steal those bunnies for you to keep, I absolutely would."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"...No. She made it very clear I'm not allowed back there," he admits. "But—you know what I mean! And you like me too! How can that be a bad thing?"

"Are you sure about this?"

Hinata nods, turning to face him. When he's in front of Kageyama, actually talking about it, the idea doesn't seem as terrifying as he once thought. The answer feels so obvious. "We'll figure it out, like we always do. It just takes work. And when I'm with you, I know it's possible."

Kageyama stares at him in disbelief. "How can you just say stuff like that?" He says, sounding a little in awe. He has that face when Hinata does something spectacular on the court, something so raw that he's unable to hide it before Hinata can see him.  
  
Hinata glows. "Because it's how I feel!"

Kageyama nods, and Hinata decides to be brave and reaches for Kageyama's hand. Their fingers knock together clumsily, but they find their place. "Yeah. Me too."

Hinata looks at their hands together and cannot describe the familiar yet completely foreign warmth in his heart. It's welcoming, like the sun rising on his face.

"Kageyama," Hinata says, pulling his hand—their hands, intertwined— closer to his chest. It brings Kageyama closer to him, too, whose face has been a steady pink glow, bordering on red. "The next time we go out is for a real date, then."  
  
"I know. You better pay for it this time."  
  
"Of course I will." Hinata smiles, feeling deliriously happy and utterly, incredibly content. 

**Author's Note:**

> Suga on the phone be like: Okay cool two of our first years might be in jail right now. Coolio //gets Daichi on speed dial
> 
> Thank you for reading!! I hope charlotte enjoys this fic and I hope you did too! It was so much fun to write. Comments and Kudos appreciated!


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